Delhi HC seeks Centre’s response to plea to protect Race Course mosque from demolition

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the Centre’s response to a petition seeking protection of the Race Course mosque, located within the Jaipur Polo Ground complex, from demolition and restoration of access to the place of worship.

Justice Anish Dayal issued notice on a petition filed by Syed Ahmed Saud and asked the Centre’s counsel to return with instructions on Thursday.

The Centre’s standing counsel, Ashish Dixit, told the court that the compound houses both a mosque and a temple, and that no demolition action was being taken against the mosque at present.

He said electricity and water supplies to the mosque had earlier been discontinued to avoid risks to the public during the demolition of other structures on the premises.

Dixit said the mosque was located on the same land parcel as three jhuggi clusters — Bhai Ram Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Colony — near the Prime Minister’s residence. The Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court had previously cleared the demolition of the clusters, he said.

The petitioner’s counsel, M Sufian Siddiqui, urged the court to allow worshippers access to the mosque while the matter was pending.

When the court asked how the mosque could be protected amid wider demolition in the area, Siddiqui argued that the structure was a Grade II protected monument and that any change to its status required approval from the Heritage and Conservation Committee.

The petition also states that the mosque has been a notified Waqf property since 1977. The Delhi Waqf Board’s counsel told the court that the board had submitted a representation to the Land and Development Office and other authorities. The Centre said the representations from the board and the petitioner would be considered.

According to the plea, Saud and his friends visited the mosque on 21 October intending to offer namaz but were denied entry at recently installed iron gates at the entrance to the Race Course compound by security personnel.

The petitioner alleged that access had been prohibited without notice or an order, violating his constitutional rights under Articles 14 and 25, which concern equality before the law and freedom of religion.

The plea also argued that the mosque was not part of the litigation concerning the demolition of the nearby slum clusters and that restrictions on access, alongside the possibility of demolition, warranted judicial scrutiny given the structure’s religious and heritage status.

The Centre had defended the removal of the slum clusters on the grounds that they were in a protected zone adjacent to an operational Air Force station, citing defence infrastructure and security concerns.

The Centre took over Jaipur Polo Ground in June and the adjoining Delhi Race Club in August.